What Should I Do If the Employee Who Fought the Boss Shows Up Late the Next Day?
…………… The next morning, about an hour later than usual. I ended up arriving at the company building anyway.
“Hoo.”
I looked up at the building. Despite everything that had happened yesterday, the structure looked exactly the same.
It doesn’t even feel real.
Choi Seori’s naked dogeza. Her tears. And the words I spat out—
‘I’ll just come in a little late tomorrow.’
If it had all been a dream, how nice that would be. No, if it had all been a dream, how horrifying.
…Man.
At this point, I couldn’t even tell what I wanted anymore.
Anyway, was it okay for me to even show up like this? I’d declared my resignation yesterday. Right in front of the CEO, no less. I’d even said I wouldn’t do overtime anymore.
So right now, I was the kind of employee who’d confronted the boss head-on, announced I was quitting, and then showed up late the next day…
If you ignored the backstory and just looked at the surface, that’s what it was.
No way another employee tips this off on SNS or some internet forum, right? Nah, worse—Choi Seori flipping out again.
What if she greeted me with that cold sneer from before the resignation drama?
‘You actually believed that?’ And publicly humiliates me?
“……Hmm.”
It felt all too plausible. But I couldn’t just stand in front of the building all day.
In the end, I couldn’t put it off any longer and stepped inside.
My heart pounded as the elevator rose. I had to face Choi Seori again—how should I act?
But no answer was coming in the mere ten seconds or so it took.
Ding. The doors opened, revealing the office. The tediously familiar sight.
But something was off. The moment my foot crossed the threshold, every eye in the room locked onto me. Then, in the next instant, they all scattered—to monitors, shuffling papers, suddenly rushing to the bathroom.
Ugh, the rumors have already spread everywhere.
As I walked to my desk, I felt stares prickling my back. Whispers too.
But no one approached me directly. Only Kim Daeri glanced my way with worried eyes.
I sat down. While the computer booted, I sank into thought.
Well, yeah. What secrets stay secret in a company?
I’d yelled in the CEO’s office, packed my stuff, and bolted from the floor. Ignored every call. So yeah, word of yesterday’s ‘resignation fiasco’ spreading through the whole company wasn’t surprising at all.
Not surprising—inevitable. If it were someone else, I’d be gossiping too.
From the other employees’ perspective, it probably felt like front-row seats to some trashy drama. The guy who defied the terrifying CEO shows up late after storming out—what happens to the rebel now? They might even be betting on when I’d get fired.
The computer finally lit up. The awkward silence around me dragged on even as the screen brightened.
……………
Then, the door to the CEO’s office in the corner creaked open. Every sound in the office cut off instantly.
I reflexively looked over. Choi Seori emerged from the doorway.
There was no trace of the woman whose mental breakdown I’d witnessed at my place last night. Her hair and makeup were flawless, her expression cold and rational. The perfect Choi Seori, CEO, as always.
She swept her gaze across the office, then walked straight to my desk without hesitation.
I could feel every employee’s eyes on us. Click-clack, click-clack. Her high heels stopped right in front of my desk.
Without a word, she set a fancy mug down on my desk. Steam rose gently, and the rich, nutty aroma of fresh beans tickled my nose.
It was a calm voice. But faintly, I caught the desperation from last night—the woman clinging to my leg, begging.
So yesterday… wasn’t a dream.
Relief washed over me. But so did a strange tension.
I carefully lifted the mug and took a sip. The deep bean flavor spreading in my mouth affirmed this bizarre reality.
“Thank you.”
Choi Seori looked down at me for a moment, then returned to her office without another word.
……………
The moment she vanished, the office atmosphere shifted dramatically. Overt curiosity and murmurs filled the air. Stolen glances while pretending to stare at monitors. Messenger windows flashing like crazy. Employees exchanging knowing looks.
Here we go… Feels even worse than before.
As I spaced out, Park Gwajang—someone I rarely talked to—approached with a sleazy grin.
“Whoa, Minseo. You stormed out all full of fire yesterday, and today you and the boss look cozy? What happened that we don’t know about?”
His probing was obvious. Just fishing for gossip to chew over at drinks or coffee breaks.
No need to indulge him. I kept a blank face.
“Nothing much. Just cleared up a misunderstanding.”
“Misunderstanding? What kind?”
“Work-related.”
Park Gwajang’s face twisted oddly. He seemed eager to dig more, but when I stonewalled, he chuckled awkwardly and backed off.
But my response seemed to backfire. Like it confirmed I was hiding something.
The whispers from afar were reaching my ears. I couldn’t make out every word, but it was probably confusion over this weird situation—the guy who caused the resignation uproar getting coffee from the CEO—and trash-talk about me not quitting yet.
Sigh… Don’t they have work? Whatever they think, not my problem.
I decided to ignore it and finish my coffee. Better to be known as the crazy guy who defied the CEO and didn’t quit—might make office life easier for now.
I turned back to my monitor. But the code on the screen wouldn’t focus.
……………
All morning, I was invisible. New task directives kept dropping in the team messenger, but oddly, my name was always missing.
Is this them hinting I should just leave?
The others were already deep in their work—keyboards clacking everywhere. Only I sat there blankly, not knowing what to do.
Then a personal messenger pinged. From Choi Seori.
Reading it left me dazed.
This is basically intern-level work…
Project H.P.J. materials organization. Never mind the oddly familiar initials—it was too easy. Just gather existing files, sort folders, make a simple summary. With Han Minseo’s—my—skills, an hour or two tops.
Is she going easy on me?
Thinking I’d be worn out from yesterday, so simple task. Straight from the CEO herself, skipping protocol.
Or maybe it’s an insult, a demotion. Treating me like a desk drone part-timer.
Whatever. Work’s work—gotta do it.
I fired off a quick reply, then opened the Project H.P.J. folder.
……………
Lunchtime approached. Kim Daeri glanced my way hesitantly, then approached with a conflicted face.
“Uh… Minseo, lunch…”
Before he finished, my personal messenger pinged again.
“Ah, um. Daeri-ssi, about that—”
Kim Daeri read my face, got the picture, and grinned sheepishly.
“Oh, you’ve got plans. I’ll eat with the others then.”
He scurried off. I watched him go, then reread the message.
‘Already ordered’?
She hadn’t even considered I might say no. Made sense thinking of that desperate Choi Seori from yesterday, but still—bossing me around as always.
Well… I wasn’t in the mood to eat with the others today anyway.
I stood up. Choi Seori was waiting.